
The Hostel Fight, the Catalan Fireworks, and the Return of the Girl from Reception
I hadn’t slept in 3 days. Not properly. The entire city was vibrating. You … Read more

Cultural Misfires: That Time I Thought ‘Tocar’ Meant Something Else
It was bound to happen. I mean, you can’t move to a new country, … Read more

The Health Insurance Hurdle: Unexpected Bureaucracy Hits
There’s this thing nobody tells you when you move to Spain with a head … Read more

The Day of Total Brain Freeze: Spanish Listening Practice Disaster
It started, like most of my bad ideas lately, with overconfidence. That stupid little … Read more

First Real Conversation… Sort Of
I’ve been avoiding this.Not consciously. But yeah—consciously.The full conversation with a local. No training … Read more

Not Fluent, But Not Screaming Either
Three weeks in. I haven’t quit. Haven’t punched a wall. Haven’t booked a return … Read more

Two Weeks In Fluency Still a Joke, But So Am I
I haven’t cried yet, but I’ve come close. Real close. Like standing-on-the-edge-of-a-grammar-cliff close. It’s … Read more

Standing Up in Class & Trying to Tell My Story (In Spanish)
So apparently this week we’re telling our life stories to the class. In Spanish. … Read more

One Week In—Spanish Is Breaking My Brain (And That’s Good)
Seven days in. I’ve forgotten the English word for “napkin,” and I’ve said “lo … Read more